Alvin and the Chipmunks 4: Munk Up!
by VampanezeLordess
Summary: The Chipmunks are just coming out of their summer vacation, and they are all back in school. Although the furry creatures thought everything would be as usual, quite a few things have changed, specifically our lovely little pink-clad Chipette.
1. Chapter 1

Munk Up Part One

4:

MunkUp!

Chapter 1

It is a beautiful morning in Los Angeles, California. The sun is just coming up, the doves have started singing, and all of the flowers are beginning their daily bloom. A fresh layer of morning dew gives each blade of grass a glossy, almost magical look.

As the sun slowly rises, it shines down on a small, yet delicately elegant home in a little bubble of houses that branch off the main road. The light peeps through a window and illuminates a room containing six sleeping little people. These kids are resting peacefully, having dreams too complicated for explanation; dreams that only the dreamers themselves can truly understand. A few of the small kids are even smiling in their sleep, hoping this silent night will never come to a close.

A squawking alarm clock disturbs the peace, and the room suddenly leaves its fantasy and brings itself back into reality. The kids…well, they really shouldn't be referred to as simply kids. These children have fur, ears, tails, and the tallest one is only about six inches tall, at the most.

These_ chipmunks_…yes, that's more like it…snap out of their dreams, some more abruptly than others. Simon, for example, (the smartest of the famous 'Chipmunks' brothers) slowly cracks his eyes open, while Jeanette (most intelligent of the equally famous 'Chipettes' sisters) jumps up and smacks her head against the underside of Eleanor's bunk.

"Ack!" Jeanette exclaims as gravity pulls her back down to her bed. She rubs the top of her head with her paw, groaning at the small bump that has formed where she hit it. Jeanette looks over at Simon, her unbearably attractive counterpart, who is reaching for his small, jet-black rimmed glasses on a little bedside table.

"Is today really 'the day?'" Jeanette asks him, with a slight hint of disbelief in her tone.

Simon pulls out his calculator and pretends to punch numbers into it, making sure it is obvious to Jeanette that he's not. "Well, according to my calculations, I believe it _is_ September 7th," Simon starts, then pauses and smiles secretly when he hears Jeanette giggle, "and that can only mean one thing…"

"The first day of school," Alvin finishes for him. The grumpy, red-clad chipmunk slowly climbs down the ladder from his bed, quietly passing a snoring Theodore, and finally bounces off Simon's neatly-made bed. He lands perfectly on two paws on the floor.

"Alvin, I _just_ made that bed," Simon grunts, and narrows his eyes at his brother as he trudges back over to his bed to fix the few wrinkles that Alvin has made.

"Oh relax Si. No one but you is judging how neat your bed is," Alvin says, but Simon just rolls his eyes and ignores the little comment.

Simon still does not understand how he is related to Alvin. He loves Alvin, sure, but it scares Simon whenever he considers the fact that the two of them share the same gene pool. The fact that Alvin was five minutes older than Simon also boggles his mind.

The two have been especially vicious to each other lately. The summer has just ended, and the heat of the events during this three month period has not yet worn off. The whole 'chipwrecked' thing, followed by not only an amazing performance at the International Music Awards, but also taking home the 'Record of the Year' award, is still running through all of the chipmunks' heads. So with everyone still jittery about the summer, it was easy for someone to be 'pushed over the edge', so to speak.

Soon, everyone is properly dressed and eating toaster waffles in the kitchen with Dave Seville, whom Alvin, Simon, and Theodore called their dad. At this point, the boys have been living with Dave for nearly three years, and the girls have been staying with them for one of those years.

Although it seems that not much has changed about these six little superstars, it is in fact quite the opposite, especially since the past summer. The one who arguably has changed the most is Brittany, the lead singer of the Chipettes.

When the Chipmunks first met the girls in school in 'The Squeakquel', Brittany was the one to distance herself the most from her celebrity crush, Alvin. She believed Ian Hawke's lies about how the Chipmunks had betrayed him (certainly more than her sisters) and Brittany didn't want anything to do with Alvin. It turns out that Alvin really was selfish and conceded, but Brittany (and Theodore, in a separate case) helped turn him around.

Brittany, at the time, was quite an innocent girl. She wasn't rude or obnoxious or anything of that sort. All she cared about was her sisters and making sure that they were together in everything. This was an especially big help when the girls discovered that Brittany was the only Chipette that Ian really cared about.

When the chipmunks returned to school after their victory at the school talent show, Brittany was immediately surrounded by tons of fans, girls and boys alike. Since then, she has had a major group of friends that she never failed to sit at lunch with. There was never a time where one couldn't hear them, gossiping and giggling away like there was no tomorrow.

During the summer, however, the other five began to notice something different about Brittany. According to what Simon and Eleanor believe, Brittany had let the fame get to her head. Although she still clearly cared about her siblings, she was much more worried about herself, specifically her own appearance.

Throughout their time on the island, Brittany was heard saying things such as:

"Uh, I have a situation of my own to deal with Alvin…I'm talking about me! It's been two days since my last bath and I am a mess! I mean, I can't get rescued looking like THIS!"

Or

"I can't believe Jeanette's getting all the attention; I mean _I'm_ the 'pretty one'! Jeanette's the 'smart one'. You don't see me running around trying to…be all smart, do you?"

This was definitely _not_ the Brittany that everyone was used to.

And if that weren't bad enough, Brittany's attitude is getting noticeably worse almost daily. That morning, the chipmunks are almost late to their first day of school because Brittany is glued to the mirror, trying to figure out how she should style her hair. In the end, it doesn't matter, because Alvin drags her out of the house _by her hair_!

"Ow, ow, ow, OW!" Brittany squeals with each step Alvin takes as he pulls the pink-clad Chipette into the car. Once in her seat, Brittany wrenches Alvin's hand from her head. "Don't you EVER do that again!" she growls with an icy glare in her eyes. After that, no one else dares to speak until the car pulls up at West Eastman High.

"Well, we're here. Now I hope you will be on your best behavior; and by you I mean _you_, Alvin. This is your senior year. It's your last chance to make it count," Dave says, and Alvin groans when he hears his name.

"Well, off you go. Have a fun first day guys!" Dave says, and smiles encouragingly.

"Dave, it's school we're talking about. I don't believe 'fun' belongs in that sentence," Alvin says blankly as he unbuckles his seatbelt. The rest follow him. Now the only thing between them and the trampling high school students is the car door.

Alvin takes a deep breath. "Ok…here we go," and then, with the help of Simon, he pushes the door open.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The second the six furry students step out of the safety of Dave's car, they are immediately recognized. Suddenly the air is filled with screams of "Alvin!", "Brittany!", "Theodore!" and so on. The usual crowd gathers around Brittany, and she is as perky and giggly as ever, until one girl, Jennifer, Brittany's best friend, makes the mistake of patting Brittany on the head.

She slaps Jennifer's hand away. "Ugh! Jenny! You almost ruined my ponytail!" Brittany exclaims, even though it is already sort of messed up from Alvin pulling on it.

"Oh…uh…s-sorry, Britt," Jennifer is at a loss for words. She has always patted Brittany on the head, but this is the first time Brittany had ever shouted at her. A few of the other girls have noticed that as well, and a couple of them are whispering in disbelief.

Brittany talks with the girls a little while longer, and then all but she head for class. Jeanette, who has been a silent bystander of Brittany's freak out on Jennifer, slowly approaches.

"What was that all about, Britt? I mean, Jennifer was just patting your head. Why did you scream at her like that?" Jeanette asks cautiously. After seeing her sister so mad, Jeanette is afraid that one more slip up could get an even worse reaction.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Brittany responds sharply, as if she is accused of something that hadn't happened. When Jeanette tries to explain, all Brittany says is: "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," and with that, she sticks her head up rudely and walks away.

Jeanette sighs. She can tell that this is going to be a rough year, and it had only begun twenty minutes ago.

The first bell rings. It is 8:05, and the first classes of the year begin in five minutes. Although it takes a great deal of struggling, Jeanette eventually pulls herself up all 46 steps to the main doors of the school. She pushes with all of the strength she has left on the doors, but they won't budge.

"Oh no," the little be-speckled Chipette mutters to herself, "How the heck am I supposed to get to class now?" If there is the one thing Jeanette despises about being short it's…well…the short part of it.

"Need a little help?" Jeanette suddenly hears behind her. She looks up to see Jennifer, who pushes the door open and holds it for Jeanette.

"Thank you so much! Wait…didn't you just go inside like, five minutes ago?" Jeanette asks. She had seen Jennifer go inside with the rest of Brittany's friends, but she didn't see her come back out.

"Oh, I didn't actually go inside. I pretended to though," Jennifer says. This only further confuses the purple-clad chipmunk.

"How come? You aren't _ditching_ are you?" Jeanette gasps at the horrible thought.  
>Jennifer laughs. "Haha, no, silly! You see, I wanted to talk to Brittany about why she shouted at me back there, but you sort of beat me to it, I guess," Jennifer explains.<p>

The second bell rings, indicating that first period classes are beginning. "Oh geez, we'd better hurry if we don't want to be late. I'll see you around, Jeanette!" Jennifer says smiling, and she runs off to her class.

"_She has a sweet voice,"_ Jeanette thinks to herself, _"It's not edgy and obnoxious sounding, like Brittany's other friends."_ Jeanette stands there for a moment, smiling, and then the little chipmunk picks up her bag and scurries to her class as fast as she can.

Meanwhile, class has already begun for Simon's A.P. Physics class. Simon has been in the A.P. class since his freshman year, the first and only freshman to ever be accepted into such an advanced course.

Somewhat unfortunately for Simon, everything his professor is rambling on about is stuff that Simon already knows. Sure, he loves the reaction of the other students when he is able to answer even the most complicated questions right, or figure out the strangest concepts that are thrown at him by the teacher. However, Simon isn't just there to impress people with his excessive knowledge; he wants to learn, too.

Learning seems to be currently the last thing on Alvin's mind; that is, unless he's dreaming about it. Within the first five minutes of listening and trying to comprehend boring calculus equations, Alvin finds himself nodding off. Before another ten minutes have gone by, Alvin's forehead is already practically best friends with his desk. It's a good thing he had decided at the beginning of class to choose a seat in the back. Otherwise, he might have already been spotted by his professor. The general punishment for sleeping in class is a trip to the principal's office, and that is not a place where a student, a senior especially, wants to end up.

Then again, getting caught and possibly being sent to the headmaster of the school may not be too bad in Alvin's case. On the first day of school the year before, the Chipmunks discovered that the principal of West Eastman High is secretly one of the biggest Chipmunks fans ever. With that in mind, Alvin can probably get away with a lot more than just about any other student in the high school.

It isn't until the noon bell rings that Alvin finally springs to life. That bell, of course, means lunch. However, it also means that Alvin's first football practice of the season is only one forty-five minute lunch period away. It's the only class the red-clad chipmunk actually looks forward to.

Theodore and Eleanor, on the other hand, aren't thinking about what comes _after_ lunch. It was only halfway through their Economics class that their noses picked up the cafeteria's delicacies. Both Theo and Ellie find themselves inching slowly towards the side of their chairs that face closest to the door. By the end of class, the green-clad chipmunks are at the very edge of their seats, ready to make a break for the lunchroom.

The bell isn't given half a second to ring before Theodore and Eleanor are out the door. The rest of the class stares after them. There is an awkward silence in the room for a good ten seconds.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The school cafeteria is quickly filled with eager, famished students. It is hard to hear with all the commotion, even though the area itself is an outdoor section of the school; the students only eat inside when the weather is brutal, and this is certainly not the case today. The sun is shining and there's hardly a cloud in sight. Even all the ill-mannered and obnoxious students know how to appreciate a day like this.

Everyone is frantically scooting this way and that, trying to get on the shortest lines, and hoarding the dessert table. Today's lunch is a popular one among the students: burgers, hotdogs, and French fries. It may be true that West Eastman High isn't necessarily the fanciest school, but the students can honestly care less. As long as there is food they like for lunch, free periods on their daily class schedules, and awesome action-packed sports events during all three school seasons, then the school could be the grossest thing ever; no one will notice.

Brittany somehow manages to shove her way to the front of the line. Those that were originally in front of her mutter quietly under their breath, but not a single one dares to say anything out loud.

People are scared of Brittany. Not only is she at the top of the popularity list, but this chipmunk is _**vicious**_. Say one thing out of place, and she will go off on a rampage; and once Brittany gets to that point, there's no stopping her. Even jocks like Ryan (Alvin's teammate and best friend) avoid the pink-clad Chipette at all costs.

Brittany pulls one of the lunch trays from the stack and places it on the ledge that sticks out from the hot-lunch counter. Then the little chipmunk quickly leaps onto her tray, and simply stands on top of it. A boy behind her pushes her tray with his own along the ledge.

"Hmm, let's see. What am I in the mood for?" Brittany asks herself as she slides from section to section. The pink-clad Chipette says this one line every single day as she decides what to eat.

Brittany quickly moves down, grabbing one or two things from each station. Once she is close to the end, the quirky girl hops of her tray quickly. The last thing Brittany needs is another episode of falling off the edge and spilling her food all over her clean fur and expensive clothes (this has happened to Brittany once before, when she was too lost in telling Alvin that she didn't trust him to notice where she was headed, even as Alvin tried to warn her).

Brittany manages to pull her packed tray onto the dessert table, where she _carefully_ selects a couple of very small snacks.

"_I don't want to become fat or anything. I mean, look at me! Even a regular-sized donut can easily make me gain a pound!"_ Brittany thinks nervously to herself as she looks at the display of carefully designed donuts that her little sister Ellie had decorated.

"Hey, girlfriend!" A loud, sharp voice suddenly says behind her.

Well, it really is not a surprise at this point. This is another thing that happens _every single day_.

The chipmunk turns around to see Raechelle, the captain of the cheerleading squad. Raechelle is a very loud, talkative girl with a lot of spirit. If it is actually possible to have a born talent of gossiping, whether it's knowing about it or talking about it, then this chick's got it for sure.

"Hey, Shellie," Brittany responds with a smile, although she lacks Raechelle's optimistic energy.

Brittany steps gently back onto her lunch tray, and Raechelle, as always, picks up the tray and brings it over to the table that is packed with whispering, giggling senior girls. Raechelle holds the tray out in front of her as if it's a work of art, and Brittany sits back on her milk carton, as if it's some sort of throne. Alvin, who is sitting at the jock table across the room, just rolls his eyes when he sees this act of power.

Jennifer is among the large group of girls who are all crowding around Brittany's table. The pink-clad Chipette is placed in the center of the table, and is soon lost in the conversation. Jennifer, however, is not paying attention. She seems to be looking for someone. That someone is Jeanette.

Since that morning, Jennifer finds herself more and more interested in the be-speckled Chipette. But as she searches the room, the little chipmunk is nowhere to be found. Jennifer eventually gives up and reluctantly refocuses her attention on  
>Brittany and the others.<p>

Jeanette is, in fact, not that far from the gossiping table, in a spot that can probably be seen, even from a distance. However, no one bothers to look in that direction, since it is a table in the back corner of the room. Plus, Jeanette is only about eight inches tall, which makes it that much easier for her to go unnoticed.

Jeanette sits alone in silence, eating her lunch slowly. The purple-clad Chipette is in no rush. It does not really bother her that she is alone, either. It is peaceful, and at least Jeanette doesn't have to talk; after all, she isn't very good at making jokes, giving clever little lines, or even just having a decent conversation. She will normally end up zoning out in the middle of a sentence, anyway.

Although Jeanette is alone, quiet, and well hidden, that does not mean that she is completely unnoticed, especially when it comes to the few people that are determined to locate her every day.

Or should we say: when it comes to the _one_ person who makes it his goal to find Jeanette at lunch. Across the room, at the chess table, another be-speckled student watches her longingly. Simon is almost desperate to sit with the purple-clad Chipette, but he always seems to end up wimping out at the last second. The little Einstein hates seeing his secret crush sitting all by herself, but he's just about as good at conversations as she is.

In fact, Simon has proven to be worse at talking. Jeanette just isn't very good at keeping a conversation going. Simon, on the other hand, freezes up, and ends up stuttering every time he tries to talk,_ especially_ when talking to Jeanette.

Of course, just as Simon looks as if he might give it a try this time, the bell rings, indicating that lunch is ending. Simon watches Jeanette slowly get up. The way she adjusts her glasses is captivating to Simon; and the way her eyes seem to sparkle, even at this distance, is mind-blowing for the nerd.

When Jeanette trips over her own two feet as she leaves the cafeteria, it is nothing less than the cutest thing ever.

"Hehe," Simon can't help but laugh lightly under his breath as the purple-clad Chipette looks around nervously, hoping no one had seen her ridiculous mishap.

However, once the clumsy little girl is out of his sight, Simon's smile disappears as he remembers that he had just let this perfect being eat by herself. The least he could have done was sit next to her, never mind talking to the girl!

"_I'm such a loser. After what happened on the island, you would think I'd be better at talking to her."_ Simon remembers saying this to Alvin the week before. They had had a long conversation about Simon's relationship with Jeanette, where Alvin tried to give him some helpful tips on how to win the Chipette's heart.

Simon has yet to try some of these tips, but he finds himself seriously not wanting to.

At 3:05, the last bell of the day rings loud and clear. The Chipmunks and Chipettes quickly grab their things and run out the door in a hurry. Dave is waiting patiently in his car. The six furry little students are barely ahead of the giant wave of students. If one of them trips, they will be trampled for sure.

Of course it is Jeanette's feet who decide to take that risk. Suddenly she finds herself at the mercy of the stampeding teenagers. This is a bad time to go unnoticed, but that is clearly the case here.

Meanwhile, the other five have reached the car door and jumped in. Just as Alvin is about to slam the door shut, Eleanor suddenly exclaims:

"Where's Jeanette?"

The chipmunks search desperately through the huge crowd. Jeanette is nowhere to be seen.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Without thinking, for once in his life, Simon suddenly jumps out of the car, and runs into the herd of students. His two siblings and their counterparts call after him, but he ignores them.

_"I have to find her,"_ Simon says to himself.

Jeanette is struggling to get up, but every time she tries, another big foot pushes her back into the pavement. At one point, her purple-rimmed glasses fall off her scraped face and land just in front of her. Jeanette looks for an open opportunity, then reaches out her right arm and tries to grab for them.

Just as her tiny fingers reach their target, a foot comes down on top of the little glasses. Jeanette hears an awful, crinkling noise beneath the sole of the Nike sneaker.

Just then, a small hand grabs Jeanette still-outstretched arm and pulls her up. She then feels herself being lifted off the ground, into the furry arms of her rescuer. Jeanette can't see clearly, but she somehow knows exactly who's there.

"S-Simon?" She stutters quietly.

"Yes, Jean, it's me. Now, hold on. Do not let go of me," Simon says gently, pulling the bruised Chipette closer to him.

The shaken Chipette looks up at Simon. Although her vision is blurry, she can still make out the expression on his face. It is one of pure bravery and determination, an expression that is not very common on Simon. He almost looks angry, but that is just his concentration, and his eyes are locked on the car door. Jeanette has seen this look once before, but she can't put her paw on it.

Jeanette holds on for dear life. Simon can feel her shaking in his arms. He holds the purple-clad Chipette even tighter as he begins moving through the crowd. Unlike Jeanette and even the other chipmunks, Simon is not struggling to make his way through the seemingly endless wave of teenagers. He moves swiftly this way and that, almost effortlessly, even with the weight of Jeanette.

Jeanette doesn't dare to let go until Simon lifts her into the car, where Eleanor and Theodore help to safely buckle Jeanette into her seat. Simon slides into Jeanette's seat with her, and without missing a beat, Jeanette suddenly embraces him tightly, and once again, she does not show any signs of letting go. The nerdy chipmunk blushes deeply under his fur, and since Jeanette has him in sort of a bear hug, he really can't return the embrace.

After a minute, Theodore notices something else missing. "Jeanette, where are your glasses?"

"Someone stepped on them just before Simon found me," Jeanette sighs sadly.

"Oh, well, h-here. Y-you can take mine. We've got a…uh…extra pair of yours back at home," Simon stutters as he hands his black-rimmed glasses to Jeanette. Simon's superhero time has clearly passed, and he is back to his slightly insecure self again.

Jeanette puts the rounded glasses on her head. Immediately, the others begin to giggle.

"What's so funny?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing, it's just…doesn't she kinda look like Simon?" Eleanor says, turning to the others and giggling.

Jeanette adjusts the glasses, which are a bit big on her. She clears her throat, and then delivers her version of an all-too familiar line, specifically aimed at Eleanor:

"No, I do not! Listen, lady; maybe you should just leave me alone so I can focus more on surviving and less on killing myself."

Simon, immediately recognizing the reference, is the first to play along. "Woah! That's a lot of _uptight_ in a very little package," he says with a cocky smile. They all know what's coming next.

"I'M NOT UPTIGHT! I just don't want to see anyone else getting hur—AH!"

Jeanette could not have said that more perfectly. The whole car is shaking with laughter. Dave, who hadn't even been there when that dialogue had originally taken place, knows exactly who Jeanette is teasing, and is able to get a good laugh for himself.

Soon after that, things calm down. As Dave is driving along, he remembers that he has something to tell them.

"Hey, a package arrived in the mail today. I believe it was addressed to you, Brittany," Dave says, looking at the pink-clad Chipette through the rearview mirror.

"A package? What in the world did I order? OH!" Brittany suddenly gasps.

As soon as their car pulls into the driveway, Brittany yanks the car door open and makes a break for the front door. On the porch is a thin, little package with a note taped to it. It is indeed addressed to the giddy Chipette.

Once everyone is inside the house, Brittany tears open the envelope and reads:

"_To our lovely little stars,_

_ Hope you guys and Dave are doing well. We miss you guys here at the studio!_

_ Signed,_

_-J__anice __K__armen__, _

_-R__oss __B__agdasarian Jr.,_

_-And all your pals from the studio_

Everyone gasps when they read the signatures. It hasn't been long since they have heard from Janice Karmen and Ross Bagdasarian Jr., but it certainly feels like it's been forever.

Alvin and Brittany quickly open the small, rectangular package and find none other than an exclusive first copy of Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.

Ever since the time of the first movie, Dave had secret cameras hidden carefully in different materials and objects that were commonly used by the Chipmunks, and eventually the Chipettes as well. Not only could Dave keep track of what the kids were always up to, but it also helped capture moments that made for awesome films.

For example, there are a few tiny cameras implanted in both Simon and Jeanette's glasses, there is one hidden in Brittany's hair-tie, and one in each of Eleanor's pigtails. Five of the furry little creatures still don't know to this day about the cameras, so they are always amazed when a movie of theirs comes out.

Brittany is the only one who secretly knows about the tiny cameras. Brittany had figured this out after the chipmunks had gotten home from the International Music Awards, when she spotted the one in her pink hair-tie. After confirming it with the two famous producers, she promised Ross and Janice that she would keep it a secret.

Brittany had asked Ross and Janice for this special copy of their newest film, which explains why the package had been specifically addressed to her.

Once all the squeals and jittering has subsided, everyone gathers on the couch in the living room. Eleanor and Theodore dash for the kitchen to make popcorn. For the next hour-and-a-half, the seven of them are laughing and chatting and reacting to every single line of the movie.

The main target of laughter, without question, is every scene with Simone. Jeanette blushes as she remembers everything, and whenever a Simone scene ends, everyone looks over at Simon, only to laugh at his look of disbelief.

"I still can't believe that was me," Simon keeps saying.

After the movie is over, everyone changes and crawls into bed. Once Dave has turned off the light, Jeanette and Eleanor slowly sneak out of the room, and make their way up onto the roof. This is something they do every night, usually to talk about something interesting that has happened at school, or maybe something that has been bugging them.

This time, the sisters find themselves nearly speechless. All the talking between them has been spent discussing Chipwrecked while they had been watching it with the others.

Jeanette stands there, thinking especially about when Simon comes to her rescue when Zoe was pulling her away from the log bridge. Then, something clicks in her head.

"That's where I remember it!" Jeanette suddenly exclaims.

"Wait, remember what?" Eleanor looks at her sister in confusion.

"Oh, sorry…heh, I forgot you were there for a second. Well, when Simon was bringing back to Dave's car earlier, he had this look on his face. One of bravery and complete concentration," Jeanette started.

"Go on," Eleanor pressed Jeanette on.

"And…I couldn't figure out where I'd seen that look before, but now I know. Simon had that expression the last time he tried to save me. You know what I'm talking about, right?" Jeanette asks, worried that Eleanor isn't following this.

"Of course," Eleanor responds. Then she yawns loudly. "Well, I'm beat. We should probably go to bed; we've got school tomorrow," she says, and she starts heading back to the staircase that leads downstairs.

"You go ahead. I'll be down in a minute," Jeanette replies, half out of it.

Once the green-clad Chipette has left, Jeanette stands there silently, allowing the breeze to blow through her hair and ruffle her nightgown. Then she thinks about lunch today, how she had secretly watched Simon watching her.

"_He does that every day. And I doubt he knows that I know that he's doing it. But why does he always watch me?"_ Jeanette wondered.

Like she promised Eleanor, the be-speckled chipmunk comes back into the bedroom a minute later. Jeanette slips into bed. She feels something lumpy under her pillow. The purple-clad Chipette reaches under and pulls out Simon's glasses. There is a note attached to them:

_Just thought you might want to keep these. I've got an extra pair for myself, and besides, you may need them if your glasses break again. See you in the morning._

_ -_ Simon

Jeanette smiles when she finishes reading the note. Then she places the black-rimmed glasses next to her own on the bedside table. She turns off the light, and drifts off to sleep, her mind recreating her all-time favorite moment from the movie:

"_I-I…I hope you don't mind. *heh* Simone…gave it to me."_

"_Oh I don't mind. Y-you know, Jeanette…even the most perfect gem, cannot…compare to your…beauty."_

_*both smile shyly*_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Tuesday morning comes quickly. At 6:57, everyone is standing on the floor of the bedroom, yawning and stretching. Theodore is stamping his foot, which has fallen asleep on him.

"Wakey-wakey, little foot!" Theodore commands as he picks up his leg with his left paw and slaps the underside of his tiny foot repeatedly with the other paw. Everyone laughs.

It is at this point that Alvin remembers something. "Hey Jean, what time is it?" He turns to realize that Jeanette is still in bed. "JEANETTE!" Alvin yells.

As always, Jeanette jumps up and hits her head on Eleanor's bunk.

"OW!" She squeals. She lands too close to the edge of the bed, and falls onto the floor in a heap.

"Ugh. What?" She grunts at Alvin as she picks herself up. Simon runs over to help her.

"What time is it?" The red-clad chipmunk repeats.

Jeanette looks over at her clock, which she had knocked over while she was falling off of the bed the moment before.

"6:59…why?" She says, still half-asleep.

Why would Alvin wake her up so rudely just to ask about the time? Can't he read?

Suddenly, Jeanette, along with the others, catches on. In unison, Simon and Jeanette gasp, look at each other, and nod. "Hit it, Britt," Simon says to the pink-clad Chipette. What comes next is the chipmunks' favorite part of any Tuesday morning.

Brittany attaches her iPhone to their iHome, picks the desired song, and cranks the volume. Everyone rushes to the stairs as the intro plays. They all slide down the bannister; Simon first, then Eleanor, Theodore, Brittany, and Alvin. Simon then stands at the bottom of the rail, and when Jeanette slides down, she leaps, pushing off Simon's hands in an in-the-air cartwheel.

The purple-clad Chipette lands just in time to start the first verse.

_J: 7:00 a.m., the usual morning line up._

_S: Start on the chores and sweep '__til__ the floor's all clean._

As Simon sings his part, Alvin quickly spreads the floor polish across the ground like an ice-skating rink. Eleanor and Theodore slip brushes onto their feet, and take the next line:

_T+E: Polish and wax, do laundry and mop and shine up._

Dave comes in just as Brittany sings the following line, and he can't help but laugh at the whole scene, while being impressed with the work they've done.

_B: Sweep again, and by then it's, like, 7:15._

_S+J: And so I'll read a book (Simon and Jeanette are reading the _Hunger Games)_, or maybe two (They quickly move to _Catching Fire)_, or three (And finally _Mockingjay)_._

_T: I'll add a few new paintings __to__ my gallery._

_A: I'll play guitar,_

_E: And knit, and cook and basically just wonder:_

_All: 'When Will My Life, Begin."_

Brittany stops the song there, and everyone is giggling and chatting away. Once breakfast is finished, the six chipmunks grab their backpacks, jump into Dave's car, and take off for school. Brittany looks down at her backpack, smirking. She's got a surprise for the school hidden in its shadowy depths.

It is during Community Time that Brittany reveals this little secret of hers. Once everyone is in the auditorium, the pink-clad Chipette stands on top of the podium in, pulls down the microphone, and clears her throat.

There is silence in the room.

The jaws of Brittany's sisters and their counterparts drop as she announces that as a special treat, she has brought in the first ever available copy of Chipwrecked; mind you, not only has no one been able to purchase the movie yet, but since it was all real, it was never in the theaters.

"Why did she bring the movie in?" Eleanor whispers to the others.

"I don't know. But if she thinks this is a time for Show-and-Tell, she needs to go back to kindergarten," Alvin mutters.

"Alvin!" Simon hisses.

But Brittany has just brought the movie to school for show; she announces that everyone, apparently by request from the Chipmunks and Chipettes (which never happened), can watch it _right now_!

"Oh no," Simon and Alvin groan, slouching back into their chairs, hoping no one can see them.

"Maybe they won't recognize us," Jeanette tries hopefully, but the others look at her with the expression that can only mean: How _couldn't_ they recognize us?

Brittany pops the Blu-Ray disc into the slot. One push of a button and the movie is displaying on the giant screen in the auditorium. Immediately, whispers and giggles can be heard among the crowd.

In the beginning, when Simon and Theodore are skipping along-side Dave and the Chipettes on the way to the cruise ship, Theodore blushes as the girls go through a round of "Aww!"s.

Every time Simon stutters at a compliment from Jeanette, the blue-clad chipmunk sinks lower into his seat as the boys yell out things like: "Woo!" "Yeah Simon!" "Ow!"

Simon's embarrassment is not over; in fact, it gets worse. That is, when Simone appears. Everyone is laughing their heads off. As Simon starts shifting in his chair again, a paw lands on his right shoulder. Simon looks up to see Eleanor standing next to him.

She pats him on the back, and sits next to him. "It's ok, Si. I'll pummel Britt for this one later," Eleanor says gently, smiling. Simon returns the smile.

"You don't have to, El. I'll live," he replies quietly.

Things take a complete turn when Jeanette's S.O.S. solo starts. Slowly, every head in the auditorium turns towards her. Jeanette, who has been lost in the movie this whole time, suddenly feels eyes on her. She looks around to find everyone staring. The be-speckled Chipette blushes deeply as she tries to read the expressions on the students' faces.

"_Do they like my singing? Or do they just think I'm weird?" _Jeanette wonders, her blush ever-deepening.

After the solo, the laughing subsides. When Simon tells Jeanette that even the most perfect gem cannot compare to her beauty, everyone; seriously, _everyone_, lets out an "Aww!"

In that same scene of the movie, someone shouts out: "Kiss her, already!" and the laughter comes back to life. Even the be-speckled chipmunks can't help but giggle a little.

Jeanette steals a glance at Simon, only to find that he's looking at her. They both look away, blushing for the billionth time today.

Later, during lunch, the impact that Chipwrecked has made on the students is really starting to show. The movie seems to be all the teens want to talk about. There is no chatter about sports at the jock table, no discussions about strategies at the chess table, and no gossiping about boys at Brittany's table. It's all about the Chipmunks' and Chipettes' latest hit.

As Brittany is getting her usual lunch, she spots Jennifer heading towards the back tables; the opposite direction of the popular table.

"Hey, Jenny! Where are you going?" Brittany calls to her.

Jennifer, hearing her name, turns around. "Oh, I've got a big Marine-Bio exam next. Is it ok if I go study?" Jennifer asks, as if needing permission from the pink-clad Chipette.

"Eww, really? Well then, by all means, go. Just watching people study makes me sick!" Brittany groans, holding her stomach and pretending to feel queasy.

Jennifer, however, is not going to study. Once Brittany is out of her sight, she sneaks over to the back corner of the room.

Earlier, Jennifer had asked Simon where Jeanette usually sits; she figured that _he_, of all people, would know.

Sure enough, though not surprisingly, Simon knew exactly where Jennifer could find the Chipette, because Jennifer finds her table in a jiffy. She walks up, unnoticed by Jeanette, who is reading Mockingjay for the fourth time.

"May I sit down?" Jennifer asks politely.

Jeanette looks up, and takes a second to try and figure out whether Jennifer is talking to _her_ or not. When she finally decides that she must be, Jeanette nods slightly. The pretty dirty-blonde slides in the seat next to her.

"So hey, I saw your movie today," Jennifer remarks, trying to start a conversation.

"Y-yeah, I know. E-everyone did," Jeanette stutters. Jeanette hears a little voice in the back of her mind.

_"__Say something else!" _It says. Jeanette follows up her previous statement with: "W-what did you think of it, Jennifer?"

"Well, at first I thought it was O.K. You know, it was getting a little boring to constantly see Alvin and Brittany going at it," Jennifer starts.

"Haha…yeah. They're always like that," Jeanette finds herself saying. She looks at herself in confusion, wondering how she said that without thinking.

"True, very true. I thought it got a bit more interesting when Simone came on. He was pretty funny!" Jennifer continues, laughing a bit as she remembers the fun-loving French chipmunk. Jeanette blushes a little and laughs along with her.

"Well anyways, I was starting to get bored again when suddenly I heard "S.O.S., please someone help me…", and I was pulled right back into the movie. Your voice Jean…it's amazing! How come I hardly get to hear it?"

This totally catches Jeanette off-guard. No one has ever complimented her singing before. "Oh, well, I don't know. Brittany is always the lead singer, so I guess I don't have much room," Jeanette says as she looks down at her feet.

"Well, that needs to change. Hey, do have any frees today?" Jennifer asks, changing the subject.

"Oh, um…I have last period free. Why?" Jeanette replies.

"Hey, me too! You wanna hang or something?"

The purple-clad Chipette's face brightens. "Sure! How about we meet in the school park?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Jennifer smiles at the cute little chipmunk. Just then, the bell rings.

"Wow, that bell always seems to ring at the end of our conversations, doesn't it? I'll see you last period, Jean," Jennifer says as she gets up. Just as she starts to leave, she turns back around.

"Oh, and by the way, you can call me Jenny…or Jen, or J.J., or—"

"Jenny, I get it!' Jeanette exclaims, laughing.

"Haha, right. See ya!" With that, Jennifer starts to walk out of the lunchroom. Then, as she reaches the door, she trips a little. Jeanette's eyes widen while she watches Jennifer look around to see if anyone saw her. Then she hurries out the door.

Jeanette can't believe how much the whole thing reminds her of herself, especially since she had just done the same _exact_ thing the day before.

The purple-clad Chipette thinks about this a moment longer, then clears her tray, grabs her backpack, and rushes to class.

During last period, Jennifer and Jeanette meet in the park, as planned. The two J's are chatting away like long-lost BFFs. When the bell rings, both girls call their parents (well, Jeanette calls Dave) to ask if they can stay at school to do their homework. Once they are given permission, the two finish their homework quickly.

After a few more hours, both Dave and Jennifer's mother come to pick up the girls. That night, on the roof, Jeanette tells Eleanor all about Jennifer; her favorite outfits, the guys she's interested in, and even the books that she had recommended Jeanette to try.

"Are you sure this is a friend of Britt's that we're talking about?" Eleanor asks when Jeanette is finally finished.

"I don't know. Jenny doesn't really seem to like Brittany all that much, now that I think about it. She kind of compares me to her a lot, and I'm having a winning streak in that competition," Jeanette replies, although she's kind of talking to herself as much as she is responding to her green-clad sister.

After the conversation has ended, the two girls head back downstairs. Eleanor climbs into bed and shuts off her light. Jeanette lies awake in bed for a bit longer, and then places her glasses on the bedside table, next to the ones Simon had given her. She flicks the light-switch next to her bed, and turns in for the night.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Little Eleanor wakes up screaming the next morning. Like a domino effect, her sisters and the Chipmunks follow, one by one. Simon, being the first to wake up from Eleanor's shriek, bolts over to Jeanette as the train of screams reaches her. He holds the purple-clad Chipette down before she can jump up and hit her head for the billionth time.

Everyone rushes over to Eleanor, who has fallen onto the floor due to the impact of the nightmare that had caused her crude awakening.

"Ellie! Ellie! Are you ok?" Theodore asks desperately as the others help her up.

"Yeah…I-I'm fine, Theo," Eleanor responds, which is an obvious lie.

"Oh…ok."

This is not the response that the green-clad Chipette is hoping for. She loves Theodore, of course, but she hates how he never really understands her. What the Chipette needs is someone who will listen to her…and actually get what she's talking about.

The rest of the morning is pretty much the same as any other. When Dave drops them off at school, Brittany is called over by the same old crowd. Alvin runs down a line of his teammates, fist-pumping each player, and making sly little comments as he goes.

As Jeanette steps out of the car, one girl breaks from Brittany's group to greet her…Jennifer. Brittany catches this out of the corner of her crystal blue eye. The pink-clad Chipette pulls her attention away from her friends, and refocuses it on her friend and sister.

"Hey, Jeanette!" Jennifer says eagerly as the be-speckled Chipette closes the car door. Jeanette's face brightens as she recognizes the voice.

"Jenny! Hey, you ready for the big Calculus exam after lunch?" Jeanette asks as she adjusts her glasses.

"Oh, totally…yeeaah, not really…" Jennifer trails off. Jeanette rolls her eyes and chuckles.

By now, the rest of Brittany's friends also notice this conversation, and now they are all watching in confusion. It isn't like Jennifer to stoop so low as to talk to a dorky klutz like Jeanette.

"What's she doing talking to _her_?" Brittany mutters to her friends.

"Oh, you mean Jean-"

"Don't you dare say her name, Leah!" Brittany snaps. "Don't you remember what I told you? We do not speak that girl's name…ever!"

"Britt…Jean-I mean, _she's_ your sister, isn't she?" Lizzie Meyers, Leah's identical twin, asks.

"Uh, yeah. What's your point?"

"Um…never mind. It was nothing," Lizzie looks down at her feet, immediately regretting that statement.

"Alright, then." Just then, the bell rings. Everyone rushes off to class in a hurry.

Jeanette and Jennifer rush to A.P. Physics. The class hasn't actually met yet this year. It was their Physics drop day on Monday, and on Tuesdays, second period classes are always dropped for Community Time.

When the two reach the classroom, Jeanette is horrified to find that every one of Brittany's friends is in her class.

"_Oh no! Now I have to deal with their teasing and bullying even more often than usual,_" Jeanette groans to herself.

These girls have been incredibly mean to the be-speckled Chipette since the day she stepped her paw in this school last year. Tripping her in the hallway, making fun of her clothes…and that isn't even the worst part of it. The _worst_ part of it is that Brittany has become part of all of this. The very thought of her own sibling bullying her like that is enough to bring Jeanette to tears.

Jennifer knows exactly what her little friend is thinking. Jeanette had told all of this the day before. Unlike sweet Jeanette, Jennifer couldn't forgive herself when she realized that she had also been part of this at one point.

Jennifer and Jeanette each take a seat in the front row, away from Brittany's friends. The snobby group immediately starts whispering and mutters things that Jeanette tries to ignore. Even Lizzie and Leah, who seemed to be against the comments that morning, are now a strong part of whatever is being said.

The Physics teacher, Mr. Karpinski, walks in.

"Good morning, everyone! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Mr. Karpinski. You can just call me Mr. Karps, though," he says with a smile.

Jeanette notices how young he looks.

"He can't be more than 29 years old," the be-speckled Chipette whispers to Jennifer, who nods in agreement.

Mr. Karpinski is more than just young; he's super energetic. He jumps up on tables to prove a point every now and then. At random points, his voice will suddenly get really loud, and he looks as if what he's saying is the most exciting thing ever. Everyone finds it quite amusing.

This kind of entertainment makes each class seem to go by much faster. When lunch comes around, that's when thing start to get weird. Jennifer, again, sits with Jeanette in the back. She has decided to sit here from now on; Jennifer's had enough of Brittany and her little slaves.

However, as the two sit down, Leah, Lizzie, Raechelle, and a few others walk over. Jeanette looks away, preparing herself for some insult, or maybe a plate of spaghetti in her face. When that doesn't happen, she slowly turns back around to face the girls. They stand there silently, as if in need of an invitation to speak.

"Can I help you with something?" Jennifer asks sharply, catching Jeanette by surprise. The purple-clad Chipette had forgotten how vicious Jennifer had been back when she was on Brittany's side.

Raechelle twiddles her fingers a little before answering; "Oh, well…we were just…wondering if maybe we could, you know…"

"OMG! Jeanette I'm such a big fan of yours!" Lizzie suddenly squeals.

Everyone within earshot, which is basically _everyone in the room_, turns to look at the redhead. She covers her mouth quickly. The others around them start whispering. Lizzie looks around, suddenly angered by the bickering crowd.

"What are you whispering about? Come on, don't tell me that _no one_ else is a fan of Jeanette's! Raise your hand if you like her," Lizzie says. She turns her head towards Jeanette, slips her a quick smile, and returns her focus to the students around her.

Slowly, others raise their hands. Soon, nearly half the cafeteria admits their admiration for the purple-clad Chipette.

"Thank you! Now, as you were," Lizzie approves. Everyone starts talking again, as if the whole event had never happened.

Lizzie turns back to Jeanette's table. Raechelle Sparks is the first to speak again; "So, what I was getting at was…Can we sit here? With you?"

Jeanette looks skeptical. "How do I know Brittany didn't set you up for this?" She asks suspiciously. Jennifer nods in agreement.

Leah turns and points in Brittany's direction; "That's how."

They look to see Brittany watching them. Her face reddens with anger, and her eyes, though ice-blue, seem to be _on fire_. She scowls and looks away from her sister and the girls. This convinces Jeanette almost immediately.

"Touche. I guess you can sit here, then," Jeanette says, shrugging.

The girls squeal and sit down. They start praising Jeanette up-and-down. By the end of lunchtime, it seems like they've all been friends for years, gossiping and giggling like there's no tomorrow. As sudden as it all seems, the be-speckled Chipette finds it, sort of…_fun_. She could get used to this kind of attention.

And she had better…because things were about to get crazy!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Like I said, the attention doesn't stop there. By Friday, the majority of the students at West Eastman High are insane about Jeanette. At lunch, at least twenty new girls are added to Jeanette's table each day! The guys wink at her and try to flirt; this she slyly rejects, leaving everyone laughing and nudging Jeanette's unlucky target.

Jeanette's personality is slightly altered by the whole thing. Well…ok, it's not _altered_. It's just that Jeanette starts to become who she truly is: confident, funny, cute, sweet, and over all incredible. She somehow manages all this while still maintaining a very innocent persona.

During lunch on the Monday of the second week, Alvin finds Simon while he is choosing his lunch. He follows Simon's eyes to Jeanette, who is the center of the overly-crowded table, giggling and twirling around like a cute little princess. Alvin looks at his nerdy brother, smirking.

"So…Jean's looking pretty hot today, huh?" Alvin asks slyly. He knows Simon tends to be more open when he's not paying attention.

"Yeah…I-I mean, um…aw, nuts!" Simon stutters as he snaps out of it.

Alvin laughs at his brother's embarrassment. "Come on, bro! Why don't you just go talk to her?" The red-clad Chipmunk says, nudging Simon in the arm.

"A-are you _kidding_ me? Look at all the girls over there! I can't just walk up to her and start a conversation!" Simon exclaims.

"Si…do you like Jeanette or not?"

"I…yes."

"Well, if you really like her, then you'll at least try!" Alvin states. Simon can't argue with that. It is a shame that _this_ has to be one of the rare times where Alvin actually knows what he's talking about.

"Alright, fine. But if I get publicly humiliated, you're gonna pay!" Simon says, his face inches apart from Alvin's.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now go!" The Chipmunk with the letter pushes Simon forward. Simon trips slightly. He stares back at his brother with an annoyed look on his face, turns back around, and breathes deeply.

"Ok…here goes nothing."

Simon slowly makes his way to his crush's table. Alvin and his pals watch closely from the jock table. Alvin crosses his fingers, hoping for the best.

As Simon reaches the table, Jeanette is the first to spot him. Her eyes widen in fear. "Oh no!" She mutters to herself. Of course, what she fears ends up happening: Chelsee, another fan of Jeanette's, follows the Chipette's gaze to the blue-clad Chipmunk behind her. Her eyes widen as well.

"Simon!" Chelsee exclaims. The others turn and also call out his name. Simon jumps at the sudden exclamation.

"Uh…hi. Would you girls mind if I …maybe…sat with you?" Simon asks shyly, trying to ask the question in a way that didn't sound weird.

"Sure!" Before Simon could blink, Raechelle carefully picks him up and places him in the middle of the table with Jeanette. The purple-clad Chipette explains to Simon that she is not the only one that the girls have been talking about…they've been talking about him as well! Simon finds himself being hoarded with questions.

"Simon, where did you get your glasses?"

"Oh, well I-"

"Is it true that you will be soloing in your next concert?"

"Actually-"

"SIMON!" Simon cringes, and his fur stands on ends when a girl behind him screams.

"I love you!"

"Oh, uh…thank you," Simon blushes a little. He looks over at Jeanette, who is giggling at all the chaos. Simon's blush deepens when she looks at him with a smile. Jennifer notices this.

"Aww! You two are adorable!" She teases the nerdy chipmunks.

"JENNY!" Simon and Jeanette yell at the same time. In unison, they look at each other, chuckle, look at Jennifer again, and narrow their eyes. Everyone cracks up, including the ever-blushing chipmunks.

Alvin and his friends are now laughing along with them. The red-clad Chipmunk smiles proudly at his brother. He likes it when things turn out the way he plans them to…especially since they hardly _ever_ turn out the way he'd planned them.

At the end of lunch, Alvin runs after Simon as he walks out. "Hey, Si!" He calls to him.

Simon stops and waits for his brother to catch up. "Yes, Alvin?"

"All I've got to say is…I told you so!" Alvin continually pokes Simon as the blue-clad Chipmunk rolls his eyes and chuckles.

"I honestly can't believe I'm saying this, Alvin…but for once, you were actually right about something," Simon says. Alvin beams at his brother.

"That doesn't mean you don't still drive me crazy!" Simon quickly adds. He laughs as Alvin groans loudly and walks away. Jeanette then comes up from behind Simon without hesitation.

"Hey," Jeanette says. Simon jumps at the sound of her voice.

"Oh, uh…hey," Simon responds.

"So…those girls are pretty energetic, huh?"

"Energetic? They're insane! I'm still a kid and I thought I was going to have a heart attack!" Simon exclaims. Both of them crack up. After a minute, Simon speaks up.

"Hey, uh, Jean…you don't happen to have a free now, do you?"

"I do actually. Why?"

"Well, I…um…I was kind of wondering if…maybe…you wanted to hang out or something?" Simon face is now almost as red as Alvin's hoodie.

"I'd love to!" Jeanette suddenly blurts out. She immediately follows it up. "I-I mean…yeah, sure…I guess."

Simon chuckles. "Cool. You want to go to the library? I've actually got a load of History homework to do."

"Me too! The library sounds fine to me!" Jeanette bounces on the heels of her paws as she tries to contain her glee. Simon pretends not to notice, though he smiles when Jeanette isn't looking.

The two head for the library. As it turns out, neither of them have classes for the rest of the day, so they plan to spend it together in the library.

While the be-specked pair start their History homework, two pairs of eyes watch them with fascination. These eyes belong to Raechelle Sparks and her boyfriend, Mitchell Anderson. Mitch is the captain of the Basketball team. Raechelle's Cheerleading squad always practices in the gym, so the two are practically inseparable.

After a while, the behavior of the two chipmunks noticeably changes. The two start chatting, and eventually start horsing around. Simon crumples up pieces of extra paper and tosses them into the recycling bin from different distances. Jeanette tries to block them by jumping up and kicking them off to the side. At one point, to both of the chipmunks's surprise, Jeanette actually jumps up, catches the wad of paper, backflips, and lands perfectly balanced on the edge of the recycling bin. Simon cheers and laughs as Jeanette bows and blows kisses to an invisible crowd.

Raechelle and Mitch are in awe. "Did you see that? Jeanette was totally incredible!" Raechelle whispers.

"And what about Simon? Not a single person on my team has an aim like that!" Mitch exclaims quietly.

A thought comes to both of their minds. The couple looks at each other, nods when they realize they've got the same idea, and slowly approach the giggling chipmunks.

"Hey, you guys!" Raechelle says. The chipmunks stop moving.

"This is my boyfriend, Mitchell. You guys have met before, correct? Well, anyway, we just so happened to notice the little game you two were playing," Raechelle says.

Simon and Jeanette look up at the two humans standing in front of them with embarrassment; they hadn't realized someone had been watching them.

"So anywho, the two of us were just wondering…" Raechelle whispers into the chipmunks's tiny ears.

They can't believe what they're hearing. Who would have thought that someone would actually invite a nerd onto the Basketball team, and a klutz onto the Cheerleading team?


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"You invited Jeanette to join our Cheerleading team?"

This very statement has just popped up during the urgent Cheerleading meeting that has been suddenly called by the captain, Raechelle. She, of course, is the one who breaks the news to the other girls about what had gone on in the library an hour before. There are mixed feelings of shock, confusion, and doubting that fill the room once the girls have made sense of Raechelle's announcement.

"Why are we bringing her on the team? And where would we even put her?" Leah asks.

"I'm sure we can fit Jeanette in there somehow…how about on top?" Raechelle suggests.

Lizzie raises an eyebrow at this, "On top? But Brittany's on top!"

"Ah, yes…Brittany. The very girl who isn't at this meeting."

The minute Raechelle makes this comment, everyone looks around to see that indeed, Brittany is nowhere to be seen. That certainly explains why she hasn't made an outburst about the whole idea yet.

Raechelle follows up this statement with: "Girls, name one time, _one _time that Brittany has actually shown up to any Cheerleading practice on-time, let alone _at all_! You tell me one time, and I will completely forget about adding Jean to the team."

An eerie silence fills the room as the other girls stand there in deep thought, trying to remember something that, in reality, has never actually happened. They all exchange looks of understanding, and they all know what must be done; it's Jeanette in, Brittany out.

Chelsee speaks up: "I don't know, girls. It doesn't seem very fair that we're just kicking Britt off the team without a real reason, let alone without at least giving her a heads up about it."

Raechelle considered this for a moment. "Alright, here's what we'll do. We'll have a bit of a competition; Jeanette versus Brittany. We'll hold this dance-off in the gym at 3:10; right after last period classes get out. There will be two groups of judges: us cheerleaders, of course, and the Basketball team; after all, they're the boys that our squad cheers for. We have to make sure we give them the best of the best."

"That's right!" a few of them cheer, striking classic poses as they do so, making the others giggle.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Lizzie grins with excitement.

"Alright, then it's settled. Jennifer, make sure you inform Jeanette about this. I'll text Brittany everything later," Raechelle tells Jennifer, just as she's walking out the door. She nods and leaves the room, everyone else following behind.

Brittany, meanwhile, is at her locker, which, this year, is located in the math hallway. She has been there since 8:25 in the morning, trying desperately to make her hair as beautiful as it should be. It is now 9:37, and it doesn't seem like the pink-clad Chipette has made much progress; however, there is not a doubt in her mind that tells her that she can't take her sweet time. Being assigned to a locker in the math hallway is marvelous for someone who needs some alone time; firstly, the lockers are low, perfect for a tiny student like herself, and there are hardly any lockers in this stretch of classrooms to begin with, so it lacks the hustle and bustle of numerous students trying to get to their books and writing utensils; secondly, even when there are classes in session, the doors are always closed, so Brittany could still potentially hear a hairpin hit the floor if she were to drop one accidentally.

Taking these observations into account, Brittany knows she has the advantage of being able to clean herself up in peace. So here she is, positioned in front of her pearly-colored locker, eyes glued to her tiny golden-framed mirror. A miniature hairpin is being held between her teeth, and her dainty paws are busy tying up her ginger-brown locks with her favorite pink hair-tie. The furry female concentrates with all her might, determined to finish with a lovely styled bun, with her own delicate twist to make it original. This requires another half an hour of precision before Brittany's right paw grasps onto the hairpin clamped in her jaws.

"Ok," the chipmunk whispers to herself, "last one."

As Brittany cautiously begins sliding the tiny pin into place, there is a sudden blare of music that fills the hallway. Brittany leaps backwards, as if electrocuted by some invisible fence. It seems as though the music flies back with her. When the chipmunk's sensitive ears follow the source of the sound, which is downward, Brittany realizes the music is coming from _her_; her back pocket, that is.

Brittany quickly yanks her iPhone out of her skirt and sets it to silent. She looks around cautiously, and when no one pokes their head out of a classroom to locate the source of the sudden blast of music, she sighs with relief. The pink-clad Chipette stands there, glaring at the electronic device.

"You know, they should seriously make an app that will automatically switch your iPhone to 'silent' or 'vibrate' the moment you enter a school building!" she grunts as she returns the phone to its proper position.

When the Chipette returns to her locker, she finds a nasty surprise. In the event that had occurred the moment before, her hair completely entangled itself in ways that Brittany didn't think were physically possible. Some of it has fallen in front of her face, bits of mascara and blush caught in many individual strands. What used to be an elegant bun is now a ball of hair dangling just below her shoulders, with hairpins sticking out in every which way.

At the sight of this horrible reflection of herself in the tiny mirror, Brittany sighs heavily in complete disgust, resulting in the strands of hair lying on her face being blown upward momentarily, then slowly floating back down into their previous position on her left cheek. With decent speed, she vigorously untangles the messy mop on top of her skull, ties it into a simple ponytail, and leaves it at that. She completes the look just as the bell rings.

It is at this moment that Brittany withdraws her iPhone from her pocket again, this time to see what had caused all the fuss ten minutes ago. It's a text message from Raechelle. Brittany scoffs and opens the message. As she reads, her crystal-blue eyes widen to the point where they look as though they might pop out of her furry head. The Chipette's phone nearly slips out of her paws as she slowly pieces together the meaning of Raechelle's urgent text.

Someone is about to _replace _her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

At 3:03 in the afternoon, Jeanette and Jennifer are sitting anxiously at their desks, waiting impatiently for the last bell to ring. In a situation like this, an innocent two minutes can take a lifetime, no matter how interesting the class may be. Even though Mr. Karpinski is currently standing directly above them, a foot on each of their desks, the two girls can focus on nothing more that the digital clock above the chalkboard.

3:04…3:05! Jeanette and Jennifer dash for the door as the school bell chimes loudly.

"Woah, girls…slow down a bit! You two are accelerating like a couple of _wicked _fast Bugatti Veyrons!" Mr. Karps exclaims, chuckling as the escapees turn back, smile innocently, then bolt for the stairs.

Jennifer props her purple-clad friend up on her shoulder as the pair reaches the main staircase. As they descend, they catch up with a few of the other cheerleaders, who are also in a hurry. Together, the group of girls sprints down to the gym, where Raechelle, Lizzie, Leah, and the boys on the Basketball team are waiting. The arrivals all gather in a cluster in front of them and sit down on the floor. Just as the 3:10 bell rings, Brittany comes scurrying in at top speed, sliding across the gleaming, polished gym floor into a spot next to Jeanette, who is sitting up front.

Raechelle clears her throat. "Welcome, welcome! The time has come to select one courageous young woman for the honor of representing our lovely Cheerleading squad in the 74th annual Fall Sports Season. I bade the both of you good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Jeanette and the others can't help but giggle uncontrollably. The speech Raechelle has just given was practically pulled straight out of the Hunger Games, Jeanette's all-time favorite book series and movie. In addition to using such a funny reference, Raechelle's Capitol accent was also spot on, making it even more ridiculous and absolutely hilarious.

Everyone except Brittany and Jeanette clears the indoor basketball court and finds a spot in the bleachers on the sidelines. Brittany steps forward first.

"Since I am still currently on the team, it would only make sense if _I_ went first," she says proudly, puffing out her furry chest.

"Fair enough. I really don't mind which one of us goes first, to be honest," the Chipette's be-speckled sister replies as she slowly back-steps out of Brittany's way. Jeanette would rather not go into an argument with her pink-clad sibling. She just wants to get this whole thing over with.

Simon is among the group of basketball players. He wears a maroon and yellow colored jersey with the letter "S" marked on either side. It was obviously Alvin's idea to get Simon's letter on that uniform, since the red-clad chipmunk had his own letter on his football jersey.

Although Simon has been invited on the team, he is still required to attend the tryouts, just to see what he's got, and if the be-speckled Chipmunk is as good as Mitchell says he is. For now, Simon is technically a part of the team, so here he is, watching this competition in hungry anticipation.

Brittany snaps her fingers at Lizzie, who is standing by the stereo system. The pig-tailed redhead pops a CD into the slot, and "That Don't Impress Me Much" by Shania Twain starts to echo in the spacious gym. The pink-clad Chipette starts her routine, posing every five seconds, prancing around the floor like a little doe. She throws random moves in, cartwheeling one moment, back-flipping the next, and sliding into a split after that. The perky Chipette does this throughout the entire song.

As Brittany dances, another furry student arrives on the scene. Eleanor, in search of her sisters, has finally located them, and is poking her head in to watch. Brittany glances at her younger sister for a moment, and pays no attention to her as she continues to dance her tail off.

Brittany finishes the song in a split with her head tilted back and her arms up in the air. While all the girls are clapping and cheering, the boys seem quite uninterested. The clap respectfully, but none of them look the slightest bit impressed by the routine.

It is Jeanette's turn. The be-speckled Chipette steps forward nervously. The boys lean back in the bleachers, now bored out of their minds. Even Simon yawns a bit, which discourages Jeanette on a number of levels. Jeanette actually liked Brittany's dance, and if _that_ isn't good enough, how on Earth is her routine going to top that?

The klutzy little Chipette nods at Lizzie, who takes out Britt's CD and pops in Jeanette's. Now, Brittany was dancing along to the song she had picked, but Jeanette was doing things a bit differently. Jeanette reaches into her pocket and pulls out a set of tiny headphones with an attached mic. She fixes it on her head, and then waits for her cue.

The introduction begins to play. With a thumbs up from Lizzie, Jennifer lowers the lights, and sets a spotlight on her furry friend. Jeanette closes her eyes and stands in the middle of the floor in silence. When her moment has arrived, she begins to sing.

"_Everybody's waiting…_

_Everybody's watching…_

_Even when you're sleeping…_

_Keep your ey-eyes…open."_

When Jeanette says 'open', her delicate eyelids fly apart, and the Chipette's lovely eyes are revealed. Her irises look like two gleaming violet gems that sparkle with life. The design of the lens of her glasses makes her eyes appear to be even bigger and more lively.

The music comes in and brings heart-stopping drums and an electrifying guitar solo blaring throughout the room. At this precise moment, Jeanette begins dancing. She moves in time with the beat, being careful not to fall. Each step has a sort of elegance to it, even if it's only a quick moment where her paw meets the polished floor. Jeanette glides across the floor, kicking her leg up in the air with perfect balance. When the second verse comes in, Jeanette begins adding more cheerleading moves. She back-flips twice, cartwheels, somersaults, and so on.

The boys are now all on the edge of the bleachers, watching every slight movement the purple-clad Chipette makes. Some of them turn to the person next to them and whisper eagerly. Simon just sits there, watching in complete awe. He knows Jeanette can dance, but he's never seen her dance like _this_ before!

During the bridge, the be-speckled Chipette spots her blonde, pig-tailed sister leaning against the doorway of the gymnasium, watching her. Jeanette gets an idea; she cartwheels her way over to Eleanor, and holds out her hand for her.

"Care to join me for the last chorus?" Jeanette asks her sister with a smile.

"I'd love to," Eleanor replies with a giggle.

Eleanor grabs hold of Jeanette's paw, and scurries back into the spotlight with her older sister. The two come in just in time to harmonize the last chorus, dancing in sync, giant smiles on their faces, violet and jade eyes shining with glee. At the last moment, Eleanor clasps her hands together in front of her. Jeanette steps onto Eleanor's hands, and the green-clad Chipette tosses Jeanette into the air. Everyone holds their breath. Jeanette flips on the way up, spins rapidly in the air like a corkscrew, back-flips on the way down, and lands perfectly on Eleanor's shoulders, striking an adorable pose just as the song ends.

There is a roar of applause that echoes beyond the gymnasium. Jeanette and Eleanor turn around to see crowds of people in both doorways of the gym, cheering and screaming like fangirls at the Hunger Games mall tour. The members of the Cheerleading and Basketball team are up on their feet, giving Jeanette her first ever personal standing ovation. Jeanette hops down off of Eleanor's shoulders and waves to the crowds, thanking them generously and giggling shyly. The purple-clad Chipette feels a tap on her shoulder. She turns to see her sister nodding her head in the direction of the Cheerleaders. Jeanette follows her sisters gesture and spots Brittany among the girls.

The pink-clad Chipette stands in front, pupils dilated to the size of a grain of sand, furry cheeks maroon red, a sneer plastered on her face, and a low growl coming from her infuriated vocal chords. Jeanette's smile is replaced by a frown, her own pupils shrinking in fear, as if they are trying to hide from Brittany's icy glare.

Raechelle steps forward, breaking the sisters' everlasting stare-down. "The decision has been made. I am pleased to announce that Jeanette will now be our newest, and probably most talented addition to our lovely Cheerleading squad!"

Another wave of cheers and squeals fill the room as those crowded outside and those in the gym rush towards Jeanette, praising and congratulating her as if she has just won the Nobel Peace Prize. The be-speckled Chipette smiles proudly and thanks them once again. Deep down, however, she knows that her smile is only a mask that conceals the fear she has of what will come later; Jeanette will have to go back home tonight…home, where her enraged pink-clad sister will be waiting for her.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jeanette scurries up to her locker in the science hallway. Students hustle around her; some greeting her sweetly, a guy or two telling her how hot her routine had been. The be-speckled Chipette forces herself to smile and thanks them quickly. The poor girl has other things on her mind.

That weekend had been a stressful one for just about everyone living in the Seville home, Jeanette especially. Despite the compliments she got from her green-clad sister, and the shy remarks she received from Simon, nothing could distract Jeanette from the stares she was getting constantly.

Right after the performance that Friday night, Jennifer offered to drive Jeanette home, while the others went with Dave. Jeanette sat in the back seat of Jen's Mercedes, twiddling her tiny thumbs, playing with her hair, and fixing her glasses, whether they actually needed adjusting or not.

The purple-clad chipmunk was anticipating the worst: Brittany would fly off the handle, her yelling leading into a heated argument that would last for the majority of the night, while the other siblings and counterparts could only watch helplessly from the sidelines.

Jeanette cautiously walked into the house that night, planting her feet on the carpet, waiting for the yelling to come.

But it didn't.

In fact, _nothing_ of the sort took place that evening. Instead, Brittany did something that made an argument seem like a blessing; Brittany gave Jeanette the silent treatment. Somehow, it felt much worse than any insult or rant that could ever be thrown at the be-speckled Chipette. This non-verbal event did not end after that night, either. It lasted the entire weekend, and continued Monday morning, where we are presently set.

Jeanette pushes the thought from her mind as best as she can. She opens her locker, and she is greeted by a giant Hunger Games poster. Jeanette gazes at the three stars: Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence, and Liam Hemsworth. The be-speckled Chipette smiles a real smile for the first time in three days. She then presses three fingers to her lips, and raises them to the sky in an all too familiar gesture.

Just then, a sound causes Jeanette's furry little ears to twitch and perk up; the sound of someone speaking. Since the beginning of the school year, Jeanette has spent much of her free time picking up on the individual voices of every student in West Eastman High. It has gotten to the point where she only has to hear a simple laugh to know exactly who is there, plus pinpoint precisely where they are. It is a talent that may not be something Jeanette can really use later on in life, but for now it's just fun to do in her free time.

Now, it may seem odd that someone talking would grab Jeanette's attention in such an abrupt way. There are _plenty_ of students running up and down the hall, jabbering and gossiping just as loudly. But it is not simply the fact that there is a person speaking that has caused Jeanette to stop; it is the voice itself.

A voice, in fact, that she does not recognize. "It's definitely a boy's voice," Jeanette thinks to herself as she takes note of the deepened tone and the slightly raspy sound of this unfamiliar being's vocal chords. The be-speckled Chipette concludes that this certainly is a newcomer, but her conclusion leads to yet another roadblock when she realizes that she has indeed _heard_ this particular voice somewhere before. Not here at West Eastman, but somewhere. Jeanette can't seem to put her paw on it.

As she turns around to try and locate the source of this voice, the bell rings, and Jeanette's ears can no longer detect the location of interest. She sighs, shrugs, grabs her bag, closes her locker and heads for her Physics class.

Once in the classroom, Jeanette takes a seat in the front row, and sets her bag beneath her chair. Moments later, Jennifer and the rest of the cheerleaders enter the room. They spot their newest member, squeal, and join the little chipmunk in the front row. They all begin gossiping with Jeanette, and she soon finds herself wrapped up in the conversation, and oddly enjoying herself.

One by one, the rest of the students pile in and take their seats. All but one seat in the front row is occupied. It rests next to Jennifer, who is on Jeanette's left. Raechelle is directly to Jeanette's right, and the rest follows after.

When Mr. Karpinski walks in, everyone settles down and focuses their attention at the front of the room. The young teacher clears his throat.

"Good morning, everybody! I hope you had a nice weekend. And Billy, I hope you weren't dropping your cat out of the window onto a mattress."

Everyone cracks up. That was another true but funny tale that had been told by Mr. Karps.

"Now, before we begin, we actually have a new student entering our class. He has never been here, so let's all try to make a good impression…for at least a few minutes. You know how things go around here."

Once again, the room is filled with laughter.

"Alright, let's bring him in." Mr. Karpinski walks over to the door, and gestures for the new kid to come in. As the boy steps into the room, it goes dead quiet.

Jeanette's eyes widen to the point where they might just pop out of her little head. That voice she had heard earlier; she connects it with the appearance of this new student: blond-dyed hair (normally brunette, but dyed from recently working on a movie), short, but well-built body, green eyes…and the jaw. His most distinct feature. Jeanette is just in the process of putting it all together, Mr. Karps concludes it for her.

"Guys, please give a warm welcome to Josh Hutcherson."

The room practically explodes with fan-girl screams! Josh flinches a bit, chuckling at the sudden outburst. He waves with that quirky little smile of his. When he catches sight of Jeanette, he tilts his head to the side a bit, a surprised look on his face, then smiles again and waves at her. Jeanette squeals a bit and whispers to Raechelle, who laughs.

Next door, this Screamfest snaps Eleanor out of a horrible Daymare. The same as the nightmare she has had consecutively for the past few weeks; the same nightmare that had woken her up screaming last week. _Jeanette was being pulled across the log bridge by Zoe when Simon comes to the rescue. This time, however, he is not alone. The whole gang had followed him: Brittany, herself, and Theodore. Suddenly just as they are about to free Jeanette from the rope, the log breaks, and everyone plummets to their death in the rocky waters below…everyone except Eleanor, who can only watch with horror and scream their names, only receiving the echo of her voice in return._

Eleanor shudders. Why has this dream been haunting her for so long? When will this torture stop?!

Meanwhile, back in the Physics classroom, the girls have finally calmed down.

"Well, seems like you're going to fit in just fine!" Mr. Karps chuckles, patting the celebrity on the back. "Why don't you go find a seat?"

Josh looks around the room for an empty space. He scans the front row, and as his green eyes pass Jeanette, they lock with the deep blue eyes of the girl next to her; Jennifer's. Josh's heart jumps, and if he could read Jennifer's mind, he would know that her heart has skipped a beat as well. Josh's face lights up when he spots the empty chair next to the beautiful student. He casually strolls over and sits down. As Mr. Karpinski begins teaching the lesson, Josh turns his head towards Jennifer.

"Hey," he whispers.

"H-hi," Jennifer responds nervously, unable to make eye-contact with him.

The star holds out his hand. "I'm Josh," he says with a smile.

"I'm Jennifer," Jen shakes his hand. Even as they stop shaking, neither of them show any signs of letting go.

"Jennifer," Josh repeats almost poetically. Jen blushes a bit. When Josh thinks about that name for a moment, a smirk crawls across his face as a light bulb goes off in his head.

"Wait…Jennifer? Really? Seriously, that's so weird!"

"Why?" Jennifer asks quietly, a bit confused. This is the response Josh has been hoping for.

"Because you and Jennifer_ Lawrence _are super attractive! Are all Jennifer's naturally this pretty?"

Jennifer goes maroon red. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Well…not really. To be totally honest…you're…well…hot. Really hot, actually." Josh blushes and manages a shy little smile.

Jennifer suddenly relaxes and giggles. "Well, so are you!"

Josh exaggerates a shy response in the silliest way he can. "Nah, I'm just pretty," he teases, blushing and fake giggling, almost girlishly.

Jennifer cracks up. For some reason, however, Josh does not join in. Instead he quickly taps Jen on the shoulder. She looks up to find Mr. Karpinski standing over them.

"What is so funny?" Mr. Karps attempts to be serious with the question, yet he has the biggest smile on his face as he holds back a chuckle.

"Nothing," Josh and Jennifer say at the same time. Mr. Karpinski goes back to teaching. The two look at each other, laugh quietly, and start taking notes.

After class ends, everyone gets up and heads out into the hallway. Jeanette reaches her locker quickly. As she opens it, she spots Jennifer talking to Josh. After a minute, she sees Josh nod, and Jennifer makes her way over to the be-speckled Chipette.

"Hey, Jean! So, Josh was wondering if maybe he could hang with me and you in the library in five minutes. Turns out that he has most of the same frees that we have! Pretty sweet, huh? So is that ok?" Jennifer speaks at a rapid pace, clearly psyched about the setup.

Jeanette doesn't miss a beat. "Duh! It's Josh Hutcherson we're talking about here. _**YES**_ he can hang out with us!"

"Awesome! I'll go tell him. We'll meet you in the library. See ya!" And with that, she hurries off.

Jeanette giggles. "Looks like we found the star-crossed lovers of West Eastman High," she says to herself. Jeanette puts away her books, slips her bag into her locker, locks it, and scurries up the stairs to the library, excited to make a new friend.

A hot friend, too!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

At West Eastman, there are plenty of little nooks and crannies that many students never really hang around. One of these spots is a little park-like area right smack in the middle of the school; a little courtyard with a small fountain with four different wooden benches circling it. It is quite a sight, and a perfect spot for a private conversation with a friend, or secret meetings with your gang/clique.

So, it makes sense that this is where we find Alvin and Simon, as they sit together on one of the benches. The two are in the middle of a very serious pep talk; and Alvin, for once, is the one who is giving the advise.

For some reason, Simon finds himself listening to Alvin more and more, which is something he had always told himself that he should _never_ do. But the situation at hand is extremely important, and Alvin is the only guy Simon knows who can get it done right; of course, the topic is girls…and one girl in particular.

"Look, Si, it isn't too hard. All you've got to do is get her alone, and once that happens, tell her how you feel. Then, you make your move. It's that simple!"

"_Simple_? You call that _simple_?! Alvin, I know you may be the master at flirting with girls, but I hope you have noticed by now that I am _**not**__**!**_"

"Which is precisely why you need to do exactly as I tell you. Just trust me on this one…okay?"

Simon lets out a big sigh. "Alright, fine. But if this goes wrong, then you-"

"-Owe me big time. Yeah, I get it," Alvin finishes for him.

What the brothers don't know is that someone is listening. Brittany, who doesn't know any more about the secret conversation than we do, is now turning red with rage. She doesn't have to hear the whole thing; knows _exactly_ what the be-speckled chipmunk is up to, and this Chipette does _not_ approve of it.

Brittany knows that if the plan goes as well as Alvin says it will, all of Brittany's hard work to be in the social position she is currently in will all be for nothing. On the other hand, if the everything works out right, someone close to Brittany will be extremely happy.

So, what is more important; Brittany's position on the school's popularity list…or her own sister's happiness?

That night, Jeanette is the first to slip out of the bedroom, and she heads up the stairs and onto the roof. However, as Eleanor starts to follow behind, someone taps her on the shoulder. The green-clad Chipette turns to see Simon standing in front of her. He whispers something in her ear, and her eyes widen as she processes everything.

"Oooooooh, I see," Eleanor teases, and giggles quietly as Simon nervously shushes her.

Despite the silly remark, Eleanor is secretly squealing with glee on the inside. As she watches Simon disappear around the corner, she crosses her fingers, hopes for the best, and sits on her bed, waiting for the right moment to eventually follow behind the be-speckled pair.

Meanwhile, as Simon makes his way up the ladder, he suddenly hears a beautiful melody;

"_It's funny how_

_the walk of life,_

_Can take you down, _

_without a fight._

_ So many years_

_can lay behind…_

_ regretfully, until it's time…"_

Simon, recognizing the song and the voice, pokes his head through the opening and sees Jeanette with her back to him on the other side of the roof. She leans against the balcony as she looks up into the night and continues to sing.

_"…to realize that moment,_

_when you turn around…_

_ I'm coming home_

_to breathe again…to start again._

_ I'm coming home_

_from all the places I have been;_

_ With nothing but_

_a voice within;_

_ That calls me…_

_Calls me home." _

Jeanette holds the last word with every bit of breath that she can muster. Simon, who has been inching towards Jeanette this whole time, sighs as his heart melts.

"Wow," he says aloud…a little too loud. Jeanette jumps at the sound of his voice. She would have fallen straight off the roof, if it hadn't been for Simon, who quickly reaches out and grabs hold of her. He pulls her back to safety, away from the roof's edge.

"I'm so sorry," Simon says.

"For…what?" Jeanette says between gasps of breath.

"Sorry for scaring you," he replies. He looks down, and realizing that his arms are still wrapped around Jeanette, he quickly pulls back in embarrassment.

"Oh, heh…it's fine. I kind of overreacted anyway. I was already waiting for Eleanor…I shouldn't have been so surprised," Jeanette giggles as she shuffles her feet.

"That was beautiful, by the way. Your singing, I mean."

"Oh…th-thanks," Jeanette says with a shy smile. Her smile fades as she heaves a sigh.

"Hey…are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she tries to lie. When the purple-clad looks up, however, she finds the be-speckled chipmunk with his eyebrow raised.

Jeanette sighs again. "Ok, you got me; I'm not fine."

"What's wrong?"

That's when Jeanette explains everything that's been going on between her and her pink-clad sister. The bullying that had started the year before. The constant feeling that she is living in Brittany's shadow. The look Britt gave her after her performance on Friday. And most recently, the silent treatment Brittany had given her over the weekend.

Simon has to pick his jaw up off the floor when Jeanette finishes. He didn't know that any of this had been going on, and he wonders why he never picked up on it.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Simon finds himself asking.

Jeanette looks at him funny. "I didn't think you would want to listen to me."

Simon can't believe he's hearing this. "What?! Jeanette, I don't know where you got that idea, but wherever you did, you need to re-check those sources; they are dead wrong! You need to understand that I will always be here for you, no matter what…ok? I will listen to anything you want to get off your chest, and if there is ever a problem, then I want to know about it. I care about you Jeanette…I really do. In fact, I…um…"

Simon trails off for a moment as he makes direct eye contact with the girl in front of him. "I just really care about you…ok? I need to make sure you know that."

Jeanette is nearly speechless. "N-no one's ever said that to me before. No-no one has e-ever really c-cared about me like th-that. I-I…I…" Jeanette looks into Simon's eyes for a second, then suddenly starts bawling.

Simon is completely caught off-guard. His lack of confidence suddenly disappears, and he wraps his arms around Jeanette, and pulls her into a tight hug. The be-speckled Chipette immediately returns the hug. They stay like this for what seems like an eternity.

Finally, Jeanette stops crying, and the two slowly pull apart. Simon looks down. He can't just leave it there. He needs to cheer Jeanette up somehow. Besides, Simon nearly just blurted out his feelings for her. He needs her to know; and he needs her to know _tonight_.

Just then, a light-bulb goes off in his head. "Hey, this is kind of off-topic, but…do you ever wonder why chipmunks and humans have spaces between their fingers?" He asks, holding Jeanette's hand in front of him.

Jeanette looks at him like he's crazy…then she thinks about it for a moment. "Hmm…now that you mention it, it is kind of odd. Yeah, I have no idea why."

"Well, I think I might know why," he responds, and waits for Jeanette, praying that she will reply with-

"Really? What is it?"

_**Perfect**_.

"I think the reason that we have spaces between our fingers is so someone like me can do this." And with that, he holds Jeanette's hand up, letting her spread her fingers, and slides his own fingers in between hers. Jeanette blushes. She looks from the joined paws to Simon, who smiles at her. Suddenly, Jeanette realizes what's happening. She giggles.

"Well aren't you clever, Mr. Seville?"

Simon cracks up. "That's not all I've got. You want to see a magic trick?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Ok…I'm going to make your glasses come off your face without using my hands."

Jeanette looks at him, worried.

Simon rolls his eyes. "Or my teeth," he adds bluntly. Jeanette sighs with relief.

"Alright then. Go ahead."

Simon nods. He quickly back-flips, carefully grabbing the Chipette's glasses with his foot, and kicks them up into the air. He lands and sticks his hand out just as the glasses land in it.

Jeanette giggles and claps sarcastically. "Bravo. You are quite the magician."

But the act hasn't quite ended. As Jeanette reaches out for her glasses, Simon pulls his hand back. Jeanette looks up at him, confused; then her eyes widen.

"Oh, you little devil!" Jeanette exclaims, and the chase begins. Simon scurries around the roof, laughing hysterically as Jeanette sprints after him. Finally, as Simon begins losing his breath, Jeanette catches up. She leaps up and tackles the blue-clad chipmunk. Simon pulls himself up, but the two continue wrestling for the glasses. Simon continuously backs up until he hits the vent on the roof.

"Ha! It's all over now, Simon Seville," Jeanette smirks, thinking she has won. But the nerdy chipmunk has one more trick up his sleeve; the most dangerous one yet. As Jeanette leaps at him to grab her glasses, Simon leans forward, and makes the "move" Alvin had been talking about earlier.

_The chipmunks' lips are now __locked__._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Simon prepares himself for a rejection of any kind; a shove, a slap in the face, a shriek…maybe all three at the same time. Instead, he feels Jeanette's arms wrap around his neck, and she even deepens the kiss a little. A successful first kiss for both of them. In his mind, Simon praises Alvin up and down for pushing him to finally go through with this.

Had Simon and Jeanette kept their eyes open during this, they most likely would have noticed a pair of blonde pigtails, a red cap with an "A" on it, a green hoodie, and a pink hairtie sticking up over the opening at the top of the stairs on the other side of the roof. Oh Eleanor, you little sneak. She had told _everyone _what was going down tonight!

Unfortunately, not everyone has the best view; Alvin has made sure of that:

"H-hey! Alvin, I can't see," Theodore complains quietly at his older brother, who only shushes him.

While Alvin covers Theodore's eyes, the red-clad chipmunk and the pigtailed blonde have to use every bit of will power they have to keep from squealing like a couple of fangirls. Brittany, on the other hand, is _**not**_ pleased.

Since they have gotten what they had come for, the four eavesdroppers sneak back downstairs, and they all climb into bed. Simon's brothers and Eleanor quietly whisper with glee until they hear footsteps coming down the hall. They pretend to be asleep as they watch Simon tuck Jeanette into bed. What Jeanette says next does prove that the siblings had in fact missed one more minor detail.

"Good night…_boyfriend_," Jeanette whispers, and giggles as Simon chuckles and rolls his eyes.

"Good night, _Netta_."

This is a nickname the others have never heard before.

Simon walks over to his own bed, hops up onto it, and lies down. He places his glasses on the bedside table. Just as he reaches to turn off the light, he spots Eleanor looking at him. _Busted!_ She winks and gives him a thumbs-up. Simon chuckles quietly, turns off the light, and turns in for the night.

Above Eleanor, the pink-clad Chipette grunts quietly. She could've stopped tonight from happening, but reluctantly chose not to. After all, it isn't _Jeanette_ that she hates; Brittany loves her sister, there's no doubt about that; it's the fact that Jeanette is becoming more popular than she is that is driving her crazy.

"_Who knows? Maybe it won't spread around so quickly,"_ Brittany whispers to herself. She is pretty positive, however, that convincing herself of a possibility like that is completely pointless.

Of course, she is right. The next day, after a few nerve-wracking classes of keeping her mouth shut, Jeanette waits eagerly at her lunch table for everyone to gather 'round. Unlike how it was with Brittany, Jeanette's friend list isn't very limited. In fact, nearly 50% of the school's students are cramming around Jeanette's table.

Although most of these teenagers started out as only "fans" of Jeanette, the be-speckled Chipette made sure that right off the bat, she got to know each and every one of them, therefore allowing them to consider themselves actual friends of hers. Jeanette wants to be pals with everyone. Of course, she does have a few _best _friends, like Jennifer, Josh, Raechelle, and Mitchell. Jeanette has made that very clear.

And now, she has one more thing to add to this list…one she has yet to announce: a _**boyfriend**_.

The purple-clad chipmunk bounces on her heels as everyone pushes and shoves, each of them trying to get as close to the actual table as possible.

But these guys aren't the only ones who are about to learn something new.

Jeanette innocently clears her throat.

Everything goes dead quiet.

Not a single little whisper or cough or sneeze, or even the shifting of someone in their seat. How on Earth did the entire cafeteria hear her?!

Jeanette suddenly finds herself breaking the silence; "Wow…who needs megaphones? All they need to do is put me on top of a box and I can probably start making all of the morning announcements!"

Everyone laughs. Jeanette takes the joke even further.

"Seriously, all I did was clear my throat! I can't imagine what'll happen if I yell! Maybe I'll become the next Dave Seville…let's see…how does he do it? Oh right; yeah. Alright, I think I've got it; _**ALLLLLVVVIIIIINNN!"**_

At this point, half of those in the cafeteria can barely breathe. Even the stubborn lunch ladies are getting a good chuckle in there. Even Brittany. She is not afraid to admit that her be-speckled sister is quite hilarious when she wants to be.

Even Josh is on the floor laughing. Jennifer, who really wants to hear what Jeanette has to say, manages to calm everyone except Josh down with ease.

"Josh, come on! It's not _that_ funny!" Jennifer nudges him.

"I-I'm sorry, but I c-can't stop laughing!" Josh manages to say.

Jennifer knocks some sense into the Hunger Games hottie in the only way she knows how; by giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'm good!" Josh says immediately, popping back up on his feet as he dusts himself off casually. Jennifer, who has also clearly found herself a boyfriend, rolls her eyes.

Finally, the new couple manages to grab Jeanette's attention.

"Alright, Jeanette; enough games. What's the big news?" Jennifer asks excitedly.

"Come on, come on…**TELL US**!" Josh exclaims, with somewhat fake enthusiasm, as he gently shakes the be-speckled Chipette.

"Ok, ok! Well, you know how a certain group of girls never shut up about how me and Simon supposedly would make the perfect couple?"

The girls being referred to all giggle. They know who they are!

"Yeah…what about that?" Jennifer and her celebrity boyfriend ask in unison.

"Well, they were actually pretty accurate about it-"

"Hold on, Netta!" Simon suddenly blurts out. The purple-clad Chipette whips around to see Simon, who tosses something over to her.

"Catch!" He says.

Jeanette reaches a paw out and catches a pair of headphones. Simon, who is already wearing a pair of his own, scurries over to her.

"You're gonna need those, especially with the guaranteed Screamfest from your pals over there," Simon chuckles.

Jeanette giggles. "Right," she says, putting them on. "Ok, anyways…well alright; bottom line…Simon and I are dating."

And…cue the Screamfest.

Due to the repetitive manner of this story, you can imagine the reaction of the majority of the room. The girls all screaming, the guys at the jock table all murmuring and laughing, the entire lunchroom filling with gossip and gasping. And, of course, like every other situation similar to this, Brittany standing out from the crowd with her disapproving scowl.

After a while, the attention moves over to just Jeanette, so Simon, after quietly informing his popular be-speckled girlfriend, has the chance to slip away from the High School paparazzi. On his way out, he knuckle touches every guy at the jock table.

"Nice girl, Simon," one of them says.

"You've got guts, pal. You've got guts," another one remarks, patting him on the back. Simon chuckles as each comment and knuckle touch is given to him.

As he leaves the cafeteria, he notices something moving outside. The blue-clad chipmunk leaps up on the ledge and takes a look out one of the windows across the hallway, one that is slightly open. He spots Eleanor sitting outside, alone on a bench in the courtyard. Her head is nudged between her furry little knees, and her arms are wrapped tight around her legs.

Simon pushes the window open wide enough to squeeze through it. He grabs the outer windowsill with his front paws, and flips himself over so that he is dangling from it. He carefully drops to the ground and makes his way over to the smallest Chipette. Eleanor's head is still between her legs, so she doesn't see him coming.

"Hey, Ellie," Simon says as he hops up onto the bench.

Eleanor jumps a little. Simon stops her from falling off the bench.

"Oh…hi," she sighs.

Simon plops down next to her. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Eleanor replies, then rolls her eyes as she mutters: "You wouldn't understand, anyway."

Simon grunts. "El, not to toot my own horn, but I'm probably one of the smartest chipmunks you'll ever meet. Try me," he says, adjusting his glasses.

Eleanor giggles a bit. "Well…if you must know, I've been having some serious nightmares lately."

"Huh…hadn't noticed," Simon chuckles sarcastically, recalling the countless mornings he's been woken up by the screams of his green-clad friend.

Eleanor socks him in the arm.

"Hey, hey, sorry! I was just kidding," Simon recoils. "So, what are these nightmares about, anyway?" He asks to recover from his previous immature comment.

"They're all the same dream."

"Which is?"

"Well, it starts as a flashback…well, I guess not for me, but I remember it from the Chipwrecked movie; Jeanette is being pulled across the log bridge by Zoe when you come to the rescue on that vine, just like what actually happened. But in this version, it isn't just you; it's all of us, including Ian. Theodore, Alvin, Brittany and I all grab onto your side of the rope and start pulling as hard as we can. Suddenly, just when it seems like Jeanette is going to break free from Zoe, there is a loud snap. The log bridge breaks in half, and everyone falls down into the rocky river hundreds of feet below…everyone except me, since I managed to leap over to the other side when the log broke. Then I start screaming after you guys, with . It always ends right there."

"Which explains why you always wake up screaming," Simon processes. Eleanor nods sadly.

"And this happens every night, _exactly_ the same way?"

Eleanor nods again.

"My question to you, Simon, is why? Why do I keep having these nightmares? No one else seems to know, which is why I never talk about it," the little chipmunk hugs her knees.

The two sit in silence for a minute or two. Suddenly, Simon's face lights up.

"Did you ever think that maybe it has something to do with your injury on that island?" He asks her.

"What, my ankle? What does that have to do with it?"

"Well, you fell from that zipline, which was pretty high up. I also remember you telling me at one point that you have a major fear of heights. Maybe, because the accident already happened to _you_, you're worried that a similar height-related event will happen to the rest of _us_ at some point. Perhaps you aren't always consciously thinking about it, but it might be lingering in the back of your mind."

Eleanor considers this for a moment. "Hey…you know, you might be on to something, Si. That…yeah that makes total sense!" She looks up. "Simon! You're a _**genius**_!"

"I know," Simon chuckles, and he ruffles Eleanor's hair a bit. Both chipmunks crack up.

It is in this span of only 5 or 6 minutes, with the relief of a internal issue, the messing up her hair, the laughing, that a friendship has formed for little Ellie. A friendship that is destined to grow stronger and stronger throughout the school year, and continue beyond that.

Finally, Eleanor has found someone who understands her.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Dave pulls up at Jennifer's house that Saturday morning. He steps out, and the cool October air hits him like a ghost passing through. Dave walks around the front of his car, and opens the passenger door. Jeanette hops off the leather cushioned seat and onto the pavement. She has never been to Jennifer's house before, and like an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the car is blocking her view.

"Alright Jeanette, you two have fun. Call me when you want me to come pick you up," Dave says, closing the passenger door and patting Jeanette on the head gently before he walks back over to the driver side of the vehicle.

Jeanette stays put as Dave steps back into the car, shuts his door, and restarts the engine. As he pulls away, the purple-clad Chipette almost reacts the same way the lucky families on that t.v. show do.

Jennifer's house is **massive**! In fact, it's not a house at all; it's a mansion! Jeanette has never seen anything like it. What doesn't know is that this is the very house that Ian Hawke had lived in not so long ago. The beautiful fountain, which shapes the circular driveway, the giant, shiny marble steps up to the double front doors...it's all still there, like it hasn't been touched since Ian owned it.

Jeanette, of course, doesn't necessarily recognize anything, but the beauty of it all has a very similar effect, as she makes her way up the marble steps. The be-speckled Chipette is surprised to find a little doorbell just below her eye level; Ian had had that installed for the Chipmunks when they came to live at his house. After becoming friends with Jeanette, Jennifer convinced her family to leave it there in case the little one came over for a visit.

Jeanette pushes on the tiny button, and a chime of bells and jingles can be heard from inside the mansion. Through the slightly blurred glass, Jeanette sees the silhouette of a woman striding towards the door. She opens the door to see the little chipmunk looking up at her with her big purple eyes.

"Well, don't you cute in that little outfit, Jeanette?" She remarks with a smile.

It's Jennifer's mother, Desiree Marshall. Desiree is a sweet woman; an elegant lady who, if you didn't know her, you would think she was still in her early twenties. Jeanette loves talking to her whenever she gets the chance, as Desiree reminds her of her own mother Jeanette once had.

"Jenny is upstairs, darling. Hold on," Desiree says, then, closing the door slightly, shouts up the stairs, "Jenny, hun! Your friend is here!"

Immediately, the sound of quick feet are heard stomping through the hallway above. Then, Jeanette watches as Jennifer gleefully bounces down the spiral staircase and dashes towards the door. The perky senior pops her head out, and purposely looks in every direction but down.

"Huh, that's odd; no one here. Psh, boys," Jennifer snorts as she pretends to blame it on the 10 year old twins that live down the street from her.

"Um...down here, Jenny," comes the expected quiet squeak at her feet.

Jennifer looks down. "Oh **there** you are!" She says, giving Jeanette the stink-eye as she does so.

The two exchange a laugh, and then Jennifer steps in, holding the door out for her little BFF.

"After you," Jennifer bows her head and gestures her arm into the house like a servant of some kind.

"Why thank you," Jeanette curtsies playfully, and strides through the entryway like a princess. The two can't help but giggle as they attempt not to make eye-contact during the whole scene.

A voice from behind Jennifer snaps, "Jennifer Marshall! Will you please stop running around the house? You're going to wind up breaking something, be it a vase or one of your own bones!"

"**Moooom**! I'm not two years old anymore," Jennifer grunts.

"Well then stop acting like it," Ms. Marshall remarks, patting her daughter on the head before returning to the kitchen to continue cooking.

Jeanette smirks, "Do you _realize_ how hard it is for me not to point and laugh at you right now?"

Jennifer glares down at her.

"And do _you _realize how _easy_ it would be for me to step on you?" She replies with an evil grin creeping across her face.

"Wh-what?!" The Chipette's eyes bulge behind her glasses, and her whole body begins shaking.

Jennifer cracks up. "Netta, I'm kidding! Seriously, do you think I would actually do that?" She says as the two start walking towards the staircase. Jennifer continues talking as they ascend, "I promise, I would never, ever do anything to hurt you. And I won't let anyone else hurt you, either...K?" Jennifer reassures her.

Jeanette, who has been hopping up the stairs to keep up with Jennifer, stops and looks up. "Wait...since when did you start calling me Netta?"

Jennifer stops climbing, too. "Is that seriously all you got out of that?" She asks with a hand on her hip.

"Maybe..."

Jennifer just shakes her head and laughs, "You're really something, Jeanette," she snorts as the two resume walking and reach the top of the staircase. They walk down the hall to the purple door of Jennifer's bedroom. Jennifer says as she opens the door;

"Well, to answer your question, I heard Simon refer to you as Netta a few days ago...you know, when you announced that you two are dating?"

"Ooooh, right!" Jeanette replies as she enters the big room, curiously looking around at every last corner.

"So can I call you that, or is that your boyfriend's cutesy, wutesy little nickname for you?" Jennifer teases, making kissy faces as she does so. She giggles as Jeanette playfully claws at her.

"Oh please, as if you don't have something to be all giddy about. What about your Joshiekinz?" Jeanette taunts back, hopping up onto Jen's bed. "You two are really getting along, aren't ya?"

Jennifer doesn't laugh or reject the statement...in fact, the dirty blonde just sits on her bed quietly, her expression blank, suddenly lost in her own thoughts.

"Jen? Are you ok...was it something I said? Did Josh say something-OH MY GOD did he dump you?! If he dumped you I am gonna claw his stupid face off, and that jaw? Psh! It won't be a jaw when I'm through with-"

"**JEANETTE!"** Jennifer exclaims, gently flicking the Chipette on the forehead. "That's NOT what happened. He didn't dump me, I promise...we're still dating."

Jeanette takes a moment to catch her breath. "Sorry...kinda got wrapped up in the moment, I guess."

"Oh, ya think?! Seriously, what happened to the little, cute, shy Jeanette I met last month?"

The purple-clad chipmunk giggles. "I'm still here. Just because I'm shy and sensitive, doesn't mean I don't get loud and angry when someone I care about has been hurt," she explains.

Jennifer smiles. That's definitely a relevant point.

Jeanette scoots next to her. "So what's the issue, then?"

Jennifer sighs, "I'm just scared. The last boyfriend I had really hurt me."

"Who was your last boyfriend?"

"You know Ryan...right?"

"You dated RYAN?!" Jeanette exclaims, and nearly falls off the bed for doing so, "But...but...he's totally not your type!"

"Oh, I know that **now**...I didn't know it when I met him. We dated for a while, and it was great for the most part. The whole time, he just seemed really cool, and he's...attractive...ish," Jennifer cringes at the thought of complimenting her ex.

"So, what happened?"

"He cheated on me...with Raechelle."

"No way! How could Raechelle let him do that?"

"Raechelle and I weren't exactly friends at the time. It wasn't actually her fault the whole thing happened. Ryan had been attempting to flirt with her behind my back since the moment we began dating. Raechelle was there for me when he dumped me."

"How so?"

"She started a rumor saying that all he wanted to do was date every last cheerleader in West Eastman. She even added in the fact that he even wears underwear with the girls' names on them...which was totally untrue, at least, as far as I know. After that got around, it was months before my squad would stand in the same **hallway** as Ryan!" Jennifer giggles evilly at the memory.

Jeanette cracks up. "That's priceless!"

They both laugh for a minute or so, then it's quiet for a bit. Jeanette finally speaks up.

"So, you're scared of Josh hurting you too, huh?"

"Yeah," Jennifer sighs in response.

"Well, hey. I've run into Josh plenty of times in my career, and I'm pretty sure he is not the kind of guy who would do something like that."

"You really think so?"

"Yep...and even if he does, Netta's got your back," Jeanette grins happily.

"Ok, but no clawing faces off."

"Aw COME ON! You have no idea how much I've always wanted to do that...I'm surprised I haven't taken my anger out on Britt yet!"

Jennifer laughs. "It's probably best that you don't. Remember, we want Britt to look like that bad one, not you."

Jeanette looks at her, then raises an eyebrow. "And how are we going to do that?"

Jennifer grins evilly. "We'll figure something out. But whatever we end up doing, it'll be payback for all the trouble she's caused you."

Jeanette and Jennifer mockingly laugh maniacally before adding, "Oh, by the way, we have cheerleading practice tomorrow at 3."

Jeanette rolls her eyes, "How do change you emotion like that?"

"I guess I'm just a natural actor," the zany girl tries to brag.

Jeanette bluntly mutters, "You've spending too much time with Josh, haven't you?"

"Yeah..."


End file.
